Staffordshire MP champions trailblazing apprenticeships at Finning

To highlight the success of their Apprenticeship Academy Finning, the world’s largest dealer of Cat machinery, parts and aftermarket services took part in National Apprenticeship Week celebrations last week. The national celebration is designed to emphasise the value, benefit and opportunities of apprenticeships, and encourages young people to consider them in their career goals.

The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board’s Workforce Census reports that although there has been a 16.8 per cent increase in people under 30 joining the engineering workforce there needs to be more done to bridge the skills gap created due to the numbers of engineers aging out of the industry.

The Finning Apprenticeship Academy aims to entice young people into a career in engineering by offering a combination of bespoke integrated training and employment upon course completion. This combination is designed to not only tackle the issue of the skills gap but sets a new standard for apprenticeships in construction engineering.

Unusually for apprenticeships the Finning apprenticeship program lasts for four years instead of three, providing a highly in-depth hands-on approach to learning. This extended program is designed to allow students to develop skills across the breadth of the industry and be work-ready when it comes to their graduation. 

He said: “From my visit to Finning, I could see that their Apprenticeship Academy is clearly an excellent programme for young people locally and further afield, but it is also tackling wider industry issues head on, including the concern that there is a lack of skilled engineers entering the workforce.

“I was so impressed by not only the level of hands-on experience the apprentices gain but also the support, encouragement and guidance they receive from everyone at Finning which is woven into their four year apprenticeship. The enthusiasm and passion for the apprentices and the programme is infectious and speaks volumes about Finning as a trainer and employer.”

Apprenticeship programs are designed to offer an alternative to further academic study, allowing students the chance to get a hands-on in-depth experience and open doors to a specific career or trade.

Craig Smallman, Engineering Academy Manager at Finning UK and Ireland said: “Opening the door to opportunities is a fundamental part of the apprenticeship program at Finning and along with local education providers we have been developing a bespoke curriculum which we believe will give our apprentices the experience and skills needed to excel in the current engineering climate and beyond.

“As we guarantee our apprentices an employment offers on the successful completion of their course, we are in the unique position of being both the training provider and future employer. Our apprentices know we are not only invested in their education on a training level, but we are investing in the future expertise of our company to ensure we can provide the highest quality engineers to our customers

“It has been a great experience to meet MP Josh Newbury and it is wonderful to see the support he has for the apprentices, not just locally but on a national-level. It has been an honour to show off the wonderful work of our apprentices, and we are confident that with the combination of a bespoke training program and employment opportunities Finning will continue to do our part in addressing the skills gap in construction engineering.”